New fire appliances and station upgrades set to boost safety across mid-Tipperary

Tipperary’s Fire and Rescue Service is entering a new phase of modernisation and investment, with new fire appliances on the way, major upgrades planned for Roscrea Fire Station, and the county’s training centre in Clonmel now recognised as a national leader in incident command development.

According to the October 2025 Tipperary County Council Management Report, two new fire appliances are currently being built in Scotland and are expected to enter service in Cashel and Thurles within the coming months.

The vehicles, ordered with grant approval from the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM), will further strengthen the county’s emergency response capacity.

At the same time, design consultants have been appointed to draw up proposals for the extension and modernisation of Roscrea Fire Station. A Part 8 planning application for the project is expected before early 2026, with a tender process and construction to follow later that year.

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The operational fire service, delivered through twelve fire stations across the county, Nenagh, Clonmel, Thurles, Roscrea, Carrick-on-Suir, Templemore, Newport, Borrisokane, Tipperary, Cloughjordan, Cahir, and Cashel, responds to between 1,700 and 1,900 incidents every year. Each station maintains a crew of dedicated part-time firefighters, working on a week-on, week-off system to provide 24/7 cover for their local communities.

The service is coordinated through the Munster Regional Control Centre, which handles 999 and 112 calls and mobilises resources countywide.

Behind the front line, administrative and specialist services — including building control, fire safety inspections, dangerous substances licensing, and major emergency management, are managed from the Fire Service Headquarters in Nenagh and the Clonmel Fire Station at Heywood Road.

A landmark achievement for Tipperary has been the development of the HYDRA Command Development Suite at the Clonmel Fire Training and Development Centre. This facility, now designated as the National Centre for Incident Command Training for all Irish fire services, is the only one of its kind in the country. The Centre continues to train firefighters from multiple authorities and private sector clients, generating income that helps support the wider service.

In addition, the training complex in Clonmel now features a new gas-fired fire simulation system, installed and tested in 2023 and early 2024, which provides realistic training in a safer, cleaner environment.

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This makes it Ireland’s only gas-fired firefighting training building and a model of sustainable practice in emergency response.

Aligned with the council’s wider climate action commitments, the Fire Service is exploring low-emission vehicle technologies and alternative fuels for its fleet, aiming to reduce carbon emissions and reach its 2030 sustainability targets within the next five years.

The County Council has also implemented a new national agreement on pay and conditions for firefighters following Labour Court and Workplace Relations Commission negotiations involving the NDFEM, LGMA, and SIPTU. This agreement supports the goal of maintaining a full complement of twelve firefighters at each station.

From cutting-edge training to greener operations and new fleet investment, Tipperary Fire Service continues to evolve, ensuring communities across Roscrea, Thurles, Cashel, and beyond remain protected by one of Ireland’s most advanced local authority fire services.